Adventures

JULY 2011

A Great Day at Great Falls!

My friends at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, MD planned a National Kids to Parks Day field trip to Great Falls National Park. They had to reschedule due to flooding in the park but had a perfect, mild day in early June. Here’s what they had to say about their trip.

"Kindergarten through third grade students gathered outside the Great Falls Visitor Center to hear from Park Ranger Fox. She shared the history of the canal, dating back to George Washington, and the importance of maintaining the river frontage and towpath.

The ranger encouraged the students to look carefully for great blue herons, skinks, and snakes as they walked to the falls overlook. Our group took a short hike to the actual falls, seeing several blue herons fishing and finding a toad near the canal and a turtle basking in the sun. The view of the waterfall was spectacular, and many children proclaimed that they wanted to return with their families!

Buddy Bison Blazes New Trails at St. Andrew's

St. Andrew's Episcopal School (MD) enthusiastically launched the Buddy Bison Program in February! The Lower School students (age 2 through 3rd grade) enjoyed a puppet show by the Blue Sky Puppet Theatre about taking care of our earth. We learned songs about conserving water and how important it is to use less electricity. Everyone can be a partner for our planet.

Buddy Bison himself joined the students after the show. The preschoolers came forward for hugs, and the elementary students gave Buddy high fives. Buddy knows a lot about being outdoors and encouraged the children to spend more time outside. Buddy then roamed the halls and playground, posing for photos and handing out his stickers, and reminding kids to get outdoors and explore.

Each classroom now has its own soft pint-sized Buddy Bison mascot and backpack with a journal. Buddy has already visited a number of Lower School families on the weekends, and has traveled to playgrounds, backyards, and skiing in Pennsylvania! St. Andrew's Lower School is proud to be a new member of the Buddy Bison community.

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Buddy Bison

Buddy Bison, our lovable woolly mascot encourages kids to explore outdoors, the parks are yours! Visit the Buddy Bison section of our site to learn more about our school program, and how you can get your own Buddy Bison and share your park adventures and photos. Did you know that proceeds from Buddy Bison sales help us get under-served kids to their local parks?

NPT Welcomes Carolyn Cohen to Our Leadership Council"I believe that as educators, we have a commitment to teach our youth the importance of sustaining parkland, empowering them as stewards to preserve our national treasures." Read More.